January is Radon Action Month!

The Bayfield County Health Department is happy to announce we will be providing free Radon Test Kits to residents to promote Radon Action Month!

Test kits are time sensitive after you open them - so please be sure to mail them back to the lab after 72 testing. Tests should be done during the heating season when windows are closed. Please call 715-373-6109 or email acoy@bayfieldcounty.org if you have questions.

Basic Radon Facts

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of uranium. While levels in outdoor air pose a relatively low threat to human health, radon can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings. You can’t see, smell, or taste it, but an elevated radon level in your home may be affecting the health of your family.

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the number one cause among non-smokers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the country each year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has radon, your risk of lung cancer can be higher.

Radon is found all over the United States.

Radon has been found in elevated levels in homes in every state. No area of the country is free from risk. Indeed, two homes right next to each other can have vastly different radon levels. Just because your neighbor’s house does not have an elevated level of radon does not mean that your house will have a low radon level. The only way to know if your home is under the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L is to test.

High levels of radon in homes usually come from the surrounding soil. Radon gas enters through cracks and openings—such as sump pump lids and plumbing features—on the lower levels of your home. Hot spots include basements, first-floor rooms, and garages, but radon can be found anywhere in your house.

You should test for radon.

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing your house for radon is easy to do. If your house has a radon problem, you can take steps to fix it to protect yourself and your family.

You can find out if your home has an elevated radon level by conducting a simple test. It’s as easy as opening a package, placing a radon detector in a designated area, and, after a set number of days, sending the detector back to a lab for analysis. The lab will then inform you of your radon test results.

Contact Us

Sara Wartman

Director

Health Department

117 E. Sixth Street
P.O. Box 403
Washburn, WI 54891

Phone: 715-373-6109
Fax: 715-373-6307

Hours

After hours, please contact the Bayfield County Sheriff's Office at 715-373-6120. In the case of an emergency, call 911.